Background media systems are generally used by commercial enterprises to create an environment that enhances a customer's experience while in a facility run by the commercial enterprise. For example, the owner of a diner with a 1960's theme typically decorates the diner with memorabilia from the 1960s and plays music, announcements and/or video that reflects that era. In contrast, the owner of an upscale clothing store in New York would choose a different décor and would play a more contemporary mix of music and video. As different commercial enterprises attempt to differentiate themselves in the marketplace, demand increases for customization of media such as background audio, announcements, and video that are presented to customers within the premises.
Franchise owners spend a lot of time and money generating good will in their business names through advertising, quality control, and efforts to present a consistent and positive experience for customers who visit their locations. Franchise owners typically create strict rules relating to the appearance of the franchise facility. Franchise owners may also wish to strictly control the music, video and announcements that play within their franchise facilities.
Most conventional background media systems typically include only background music. In some systems, music formats are sent to the users on a regular basis in the form of tapes, compact discs (CDs) or digital video discs (DVDs). The music formats are played on proprietary systems that may include devices for storing the music formats for future use. Other systems transmit background music via a satellite broadcast or a frequency modulated (FM) sub-carrier frequency to specially-designed receiving equipment that is located in the enterprise's facility. While providing a relatively inexpensive way to receive the background music, these background media systems are generally limited in that the commercial enterprise cannot tailor the formats beyond those provided by the background media system vendor. If custom music formats or playlists can be obtained, they generally cost too much for small or medium sized commercial enterprises. While satellite systems offer different audio formats on different channels, the number of available channels is limited. As customers request more highly customized audio and video environments for their facilities, the demand for additional channels will exceed the available bandwidth. Generally theses systems also require that the video, announcements and other media be handled with separate systems.
The conventional background media systems also have a disadvantage in that when specialized announcements are mixed into the background music and video, the background music and video is abruptly interrupted for the announcements.